House Education Committee hears bill to ban student fees for school sports; agencies warn of funding and logistics gaps
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Summary
On March 25 the House Education Committee took testimony on Proyecto de la Cámara 839, which would prohibit mandatory fees for participation in representative school sports. Department witnesses backed the bill’s equity goals but flagged operational, funding and enforcement questions — including an exception allowing third‑party operators to charge fees.
The House Education Committee on March 25 held a public hearing on Proyecto de la Cámara 839, a bill that would ban schools from charging students or parents fees to participate in representative school sports. Committee leaders said the measure seeks to ‘‘garantizar la equidad en el acceso al deporte escolar’’ and asked agencies for data and implementation plans before the committee issues a report.
Why it matters: Supporters say the bill would remove a financial barrier that keeps students from taking part in school athletics; agency witnesses agreed the goal is legitimate but repeatedly warned the bill’s current language and an exception for programs run by contracted third parties could undercut its purpose or create unequal application across public and private institutions.
Department of Education official Leid Cruz Millán read the department’s memorandum and told the committee that the bill ‘‘persigue garantizar la equidad en el acceso al deporte escolar’’ while also noting potential operational challenges and the need to review the governing legal framework, including the department’s circulars. Cruz Millán said the agency is prepared to ‘‘participar de manera activa, transparente y responsable en los procesos dirigidos a fortalecer el sistema educativo’’ but asked the committee for time to provide further information.
The Department of Recreation and Sports, represented by Juan García Rivera, described existing programming the agency operates and how those services intersect with schools. García Rivera told lawmakers the department runs roughly 180 centros de formación and that those centers ‘‘son todos libres de costo’’ for participants; he warned, however, that Article 4 of the bill — which creates an exception when a program is operated by a contracted third party — could permit charging fees through contractors and thereby ‘‘anular’’ the bill’s equity objective.
Teachers who testified described how shortfalls in transport, staffing and equipment already leave students out of competitions. Physical‑education teacher Yomar Rodríguez López said approving the bill ‘‘podría tener consecuencias negativas para la estructura, la calidad y la sostenibilidad de los programas deportivos escolares’’ unless a clear, alternate funding model is identified. Rodríguez recounted immediate, local examples: he said he planned to take eight students to a regional meet but lacked transport for two, and that teachers often cover costs personally or solicit donations to get students to events.
Budget figures discussed at the hearing included agency estimates that Recreation and Sports’ centers served about 5,000 young people as of January and that the department manages a recurring "fondo de categorías menores" capped at about $3,000,000 (drawn from lottery surpluses, according to testimony). The Department of Education’s physical‑education program reported a recurring transport allocation of roughly $200,000, about $52,000 paid for external referees this semester, and roughly $90,000 for sports equipment; witnesses said regional differences and rising fuel prices have strained those amounts.
Committee members pressed agencies on possible collaboration to maximize existing capacity — for example, whether Recreation and Sports could place coaches from its centers in schools — and asked for clear lists of the 180 centers, the specialties they cover, and how many students and trained coaches each serves. Department officials acknowledged there are collaborative agreements in some regions but said the scope and execution vary and that the agencies would provide the requested documentation to the committee.
What’s next: The committee president set a formal deadline for additional submissions from agencies and witnesses; agencies were asked to supply the requested documents and data by April 8, 2026. Lawmakers said they will use the additional material to work on clarifying bill language — particularly the third‑party exception — and to evaluate financing options that would maintain program quality without imposing mandatory fees on families.
The hearing closed after more than two hours of testimony and questions; no vote was taken on the bill during the session.
